Nik Heynen Awarded 2025 AAG James Blaut Award

UGA Geography Distinguished Research Professor, Nik Heyen, has
been awarded the 2025 American Association of Geographers
James Blaut award. The award was conferred at this year’s AAG
annual meeting in Detroit, where Dr. Heynen delivered a lecture
titled “Echoes of Bombingham: The Longue Durée of Racial Terror,
the White Mob, and Abolition Geography."

The AAG has shared the following description of Dr. Heynen’s research and scholarship:

“Dr. Nik Heynen’s work has transformed abolition ecology, urban political ecology, and
socialist geography. His scholarship redefines how geography addresses racial
capitalism, environmental injustice, and urban inequality, linking radical theory with
grassroots action. Through community-engaged research, including partnerships with the
Gullah/Geechee community, Heynen demonstrates how geography can challenge systems
of oppression, resist land dispossession, and advance collective liberation.
Heynen’s research critiques the structural violence of capitalist urbanization while
amplifying the resistance of marginalized communities. His work bridges academic and
grassroots spaces, offering actionable insights into combating inequality. This session
celebrates his vision of geography as a tool for dismantling oppression and building
solidarity through scholarship and action.” Congratulations, Nik!
Learn more about Dr. Heynen’s Research here!